CZ’s Hidden Fortune: Is Binance Founder Almost Twice as Rich as Forbes Thinks?

At $859.50 per token, BNB has made Changpeng Zhao the world’s richest crypto founder with an estimated $72 billion fortune. But internal Binance documents suggest he may control 94 million BNB tokens – worth $40+ billion more than Forbes accounts for.

According to real-time fortune estimates, CZ’s net worth exceeds $72 billion. Forbes calculates this figure using estimated crypto asset holdings, publicly disclosed stock holdings, and private assets. These estimates focus on publicly verifiable assets, which is why Bitcoin’s anonymous creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, does not appear on the list, and why CZ’s exact net worth remains uncertain.

CZ’s dominance in crypto wealth is staggering. The next richest crypto founder, Coinbase’s Brian Armstrong, has an estimated $8.2 billion net worth – nearly nine times smaller than CZ’s Forbes estimate. Even conservative calculations put CZ among the world’s 25 richest people, ahead of established billionaires in traditional industries.

BNB Ownership and Why CZ’s Wealth Could Be Underestimated

CZ’s real net worth might be higher than official estimates, mainly because of BNB, a token launched by the Binance exchange in 2017. The main sources of CZ’s wealth are his 90% ownership of the exchange and a stash of BNB tokens.

When Binance launched, the founding team received 80 million BNB tokens from the total supply of 200 million. According to a Forbes investigation, the ICO was initially undersubscribed, prompting CZ and his team to move unsold tokens into wallets he controlled. In total, CZ may hold nearly 94 million BNB tokens, over 65% of the circulating supply, though this figure has not been independently verified.

As Binance’s native token, BNB has surged in price during the 2025 bull market, hitting an all-time high of $859.50 on July 28, 2025. CZ played a key role in its launch and is believed to hold a large amount. If he owns more BNB privately, that extra value isn’t included in the current estimate. And with BNB trading at such high prices, even a small hidden stash could add billions to his fortune.

Crypto holdings are also difficult to track, especially when wallet ownership isn’t public. That’s why CZ’s actual wealth could be much greater than the $72 billion reported.

Forbes estimates CZ’s wealth using conservative BNB holdings, but the real numbers could be dramatically higher. Forbes likely calculates his BNB stake at around 50-60 million tokens based on publicly traceable wallets. However, if CZ actually controls the full 94 million BNB tokens from the original ICO allocation, the math changes significantly. 

At BNB’s current price of $859.50, controlling 94 million tokens would be worth approximately $80.8 billion in BNB alone. Add his 90% Binance exchange ownership (estimated at $35+ billion) plus other assets, and CZ’s total wealth could exceed $115 billion – a $43 billion gap from Forbes’ published estimate.

Binance’s Growth and Regulatory Battles 

Today, Binance remains the largest crypto exchange, with over $23 billion in daily trading volume. As the platform grew, so did regulatory pressure. Starting in 2021, authorities around the world began raising concerns about compliance, money laundering, and user protection. In 2023, these tensions peaked when the U.S. Department of Justice reached a $4 billion settlement with Binance. CZ stepped down as CEO and accepted a 4-month prison sentence as part of the agreement. Despite the legal challenges, his Binance equity and BNB holdings continued appreciating throughout the proceedings.

However, stepping back didn’t mean stepping away. His personal stake in Binance and early access to BNB have allowed his fortune to grow alongside the market recovery in 2025.

The Transparency Problem

CZ’s actual wealth remains one of crypto’s biggest mysteries. Unlike public company CEOs whose holdings are disclosed, crypto founders’ token stashes often stay private. 

Several questions remain unanswered: does CZ control more BNB wallets beyond public estimates? How has his Binance stake been affected by regulatory settlements? Could his total wealth approach $115 billion if hidden holdings surface?

Until crypto wealth reporting improves, CZ’s true fortune – and his potential ranking among the world’s richest people – remains educated guesswork. What’s certain: at current BNB prices, even Forbes’ conservative estimate makes him richer than most sovereign wealth funds.